East Midlands: BHF reveals its quirkiest donations

Guardian News

What do a lead safe, a camera lens and a motorcycle suit have in common?

No, it’s not the start of a bad joke: they’re all on the list of the top ten most unique items sold on the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) eBay store – bhf.org.uk/ebay - which has been released today. The unusual items were donated to BHF shops in the East Midlands and sold to a bevy of savvy bidders on eBay over the last three months, raising life-saving funds to fight coronary heart disease, the UK’s single biggest killer.

1. Lead safe - £235

A vintage Milner 212 lead safe sold for £235 on the BHF eBay store after it was donated to the Leicester BHF Furniture & Electrical store. The safe, from the late 19th Century, was made by Thomas Milner & Son, which was the leading safe manufacturer of the time and pioneered fire-proofing and wedge-resistant doors.

2. Camera Lens - £313.20

Also donated to the Leicester BHF Furniture & Electrical store, an almost new Nikon Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR II F-mount camera lens in excellent condition raised £313.20 for the BHF when it was sold via eBay. Professional photographers and enthusiasts often search eBay for discontinued lenses and bargains, so they often sell well, and this was no exception.

3. 80-piece Dinner Set - £114

Sold for £114, an 80-piece Midwinter Stylecraft dinner set that was donated to the Gainsborough BHF shop was in almost perfect condition. The huge collection included enough crockery for a six to eight person dinner party, and even contained two soup tureens and two gravy boats!

4. Motorcycle Suit - £151

Having been donated to the Grantham BHF shop, a light-weight, waterproof ladies Hein Gericke leather biker suit sold for £151 on the BHF eBay store. Featuring reinforced elbows, shoulders and knees and with minimal wear-and-tear, five people were bidding against each other to secure this item.

Andrew Shaw, BHF eBay Manager, says, “It’s amazing what people donate to BHF shops. When staff spot high-value and unique items, they send them over to us and we list them on eBay. This means we not only get the best price for the rare and beautiful items, but that these objects are available to many more people than they would be if they were just sold in the shop they were donated to.

“One hundred per cent of the profits raised from these items go into the fight against heart disease, helping the BHF continue its life-saving work. To see what’s available and bid on more items, visit bhf.org.uk/ebay today.”

Coronary heart disease is the UK’s single biggest killer and last year BHF shops raised over £31 million in the fight for every heartbeat. Donations are vital to the charity so that BHF researchers can continue their relentless search for breakthroughs to beat heart disease.

To view what’s currently available and place a bid, visit bhf.org.uk/ebay. To find your nearest BHF shop, go to bhf.org.uk/shops or call 0800 915 3000. A free collection for unwanted items can be arranged through your local BHF shop.

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